The Lovely Bones (Number 2)

In the book The Lovely Bones, author Alice Sebold uses many artistic craft moves to convey specific information. The Lovely Bones is about Susie Salmon, a fourteen-year-old girl who was murdered. The book is written as Susie is watching over her family from her niche in heaven. This book is told through a series of flashbacks as well as in modern day time, where Susie is giving her prospective from heaven. Using flashbacks allows author Sebold to convey specific information from a unique prospective.

            Alice Sebold was able to show how Susie changed throughout the book by using flashbacks. Susie looked back on the time when her mother said, “you look invincible.” In that moment, Susie said, “I am.” Later in time, after Susie has died, the author shows that Susie is starting to realize that things don’t last forever. This is one way that the author shows Susie’s emotional development. Another method the author uses is to show Susie reflecting on the experiences of her family on earth, which she is in heaven. Susie watches her family grow and change into different people. When Susie was alive, Susie most likely thought that her parents’ marriage would be monogamous, but she was wrong. She was shocked when her mother cheated on her father with Len.

            Writing using flashbacks gives the author ample opportunity to convey specific information the author may not be able to convey in another writing format. I appreciate this artistic writing style, because I feel that I am able to see more character development. As a reader, I will continue to look for artistic ways tha